Drop Top Amber | Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
Brewed by:
Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
Oregon, United States
widmer.com
Style: American Amber / Red Ale
Alcohol by volume (ABV): 5.00%
Availability: Year-round
Notes / Commercial Description:
availability: year-round
bitterness: 20 IBU
alcohol by volume: 5.0%
original gravity: 12.25° PLATO
malts:
Pale, Caramel 10L,
Extra Special, Honey Malt
hops:
Alchemy, Simcoe
Added by Zraly on 03-11-2003
Ratings: 431 | Reviews: 234
Reviews by JayTheFinn:
More User Reviews:
3.26/5 rDev -3%
look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance Nice, hoppy-looking orange body with a good head that laced the glass.
Smell Its not a big nose, but the hops are sharp. There seems to be a cheap grainy aroma coming through, though.
Taste This one is like Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde. The hop flavors are actually quite sharp for domestic piss, but the grain is a let down and the sweetness is really lame. It reminds me of flavorless Gummi-Bears.
Mouthfeel Smooth and well balanced with a medium body.
Drinkability I liked serveral aspects of this ale, but the cheap malt and grain made this a sipper.
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look: 4.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3
Appearance Nice, hoppy-looking orange body with a good head that laced the glass.
Smell Its not a big nose, but the hops are sharp. There seems to be a cheap grainy aroma coming through, though.
Taste This one is like Dr. Jekyl & Mr. Hyde. The hop flavors are actually quite sharp for domestic piss, but the grain is a let down and the sweetness is really lame. It reminds me of flavorless Gummi-Bears.
Mouthfeel Smooth and well balanced with a medium body.
Drinkability I liked serveral aspects of this ale, but the cheap malt and grain made this a sipper.
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3.7/5 rDev +10.1%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Vol. II Issue VII:
Brewed with an addition of honey malt and hopped with Alchemy and Simcoe hops to make things interesting.
After a hard pour, this beer sports a thick crowning of white lacing. The pale amber color flaunts its clarity in the light. Delicate hop aroma that has suggestions of freshly cut banana peppers, wild flowers and faint mint. A little bit of malt in the nose, more of a creamy sweetness and toasted biscuit. Lots of smoothness, medium-bodied. Clean, sharp hop bitterness nearly cuts through all of the malt. The hop flavor leaves a long subtle trail of green tea, white pepper and wild flower flavors. Creamy maltiness with a touch of sweetness up front, more of a dry cracker and biscuity tone in the semi-dry finish.
Balanced and very complex, still very drinkable. A session ale that makes you think a little, it is also intricate enough to pair against a bolder cuisine.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Review from BeerAdvocate magazine Vol. II Issue VII:
Brewed with an addition of honey malt and hopped with Alchemy and Simcoe hops to make things interesting.
After a hard pour, this beer sports a thick crowning of white lacing. The pale amber color flaunts its clarity in the light. Delicate hop aroma that has suggestions of freshly cut banana peppers, wild flowers and faint mint. A little bit of malt in the nose, more of a creamy sweetness and toasted biscuit. Lots of smoothness, medium-bodied. Clean, sharp hop bitterness nearly cuts through all of the malt. The hop flavor leaves a long subtle trail of green tea, white pepper and wild flower flavors. Creamy maltiness with a touch of sweetness up front, more of a dry cracker and biscuity tone in the semi-dry finish.
Balanced and very complex, still very drinkable. A session ale that makes you think a little, it is also intricate enough to pair against a bolder cuisine.
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3.59/5 rDev +6.8%
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
look: 3.25 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.75 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
3.5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The beer pours an orange color with a large white head. The aroma is heavy on the biscuit malt with a little bit of grassy hops mixed in. The aroma is fairly faint overall. The flavor is heavy on the biscuit malt with a little bit of toffee mixed in. There is a slight grassyness from the hoppiness, but the beer is mainly about the malt. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
The beer pours an orange color with a large white head. The aroma is heavy on the biscuit malt with a little bit of grassy hops mixed in. The aroma is fairly faint overall. The flavor is heavy on the biscuit malt with a little bit of toffee mixed in. There is a slight grassyness from the hoppiness, but the beer is mainly about the malt. Medium mouthfeel and medium carbonation.
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3.5/5 rDev +4.2%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Serving Glass: Poured from bottle into pint-like glass.
Appearance: Clear golden amber without much head.
Smell: Caramel, cherry and light spiciness.
Taste: Caramel and cherry malts drive the beer, but are fairly dry. Light citrus and spicy good hops on the finish. Slight macro aftertaste.
Feel: Fairly high carbonation, light-medium body, semi-dry finish.
Overall: Easy to drink and refreshing. Something that could appeal to mainstream drinkers and get them interested in ales.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
Serving Glass: Poured from bottle into pint-like glass.
Appearance: Clear golden amber without much head.
Smell: Caramel, cherry and light spiciness.
Taste: Caramel and cherry malts drive the beer, but are fairly dry. Light citrus and spicy good hops on the finish. Slight macro aftertaste.
Feel: Fairly high carbonation, light-medium body, semi-dry finish.
Overall: Easy to drink and refreshing. Something that could appeal to mainstream drinkers and get them interested in ales.
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2.66/5 rDev -20.8%
look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Draft @ The Dog. Pours a nice clear amber with very little head. The aroma is nasty, bitter apple with dirty sock. The taste is sharp and acidic, like the bitter apple that fell in the tanks. The honey malt makes the aftertaste pretty nasty. Never again.
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look: 3 | smell: 2 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 2.5
Draft @ The Dog. Pours a nice clear amber with very little head. The aroma is nasty, bitter apple with dirty sock. The taste is sharp and acidic, like the bitter apple that fell in the tanks. The honey malt makes the aftertaste pretty nasty. Never again.
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3.08/5 rDev -8.3%
look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Honey copper colored with a low head of beige foam that disappears quickly.
Low aroma of biscuity malt and slight metallic note.
Flavors of corn and honey, some ripe pear and biscuit, notes of mint. Mild bitterness offsets the malt.
Even mouthfeel, a tad slick, finishes tingly. Average beer all around, just okay.
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look: 3 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
Honey copper colored with a low head of beige foam that disappears quickly.
Low aroma of biscuity malt and slight metallic note.
Flavors of corn and honey, some ripe pear and biscuit, notes of mint. Mild bitterness offsets the malt.
Even mouthfeel, a tad slick, finishes tingly. Average beer all around, just okay.
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3.68/5 rDev +9.5%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
A- Golden amber, with a clean white head. Head disappeared rather quickly.
S- Light malty smell with a fruity citrus undertone.
T/M- Nice clean taste a bit fruity on first taste, has a bit of a hoppy slightly bitter aftertaste, but by no means harsh
D- Very drinkable, can have several and get tired of them. Better on warmer days
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
A- Golden amber, with a clean white head. Head disappeared rather quickly.
S- Light malty smell with a fruity citrus undertone.
T/M- Nice clean taste a bit fruity on first taste, has a bit of a hoppy slightly bitter aftertaste, but by no means harsh
D- Very drinkable, can have several and get tired of them. Better on warmer days
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3.23/5 rDev -3.9%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.25 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.25
3.03/5 rDev -9.8%
look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On tap at a shitty bar in Elko, NV. Bartender kept hyping how 'strong' the beer was. Whatever, its Elko, this is as primo as the beer scene gets.
Mahogany, maybe with a bit more red in it than pure mahogany color. Aroma was rich of caramel and other malts.
Taste was smooth, did seem to have a bit of a bitter and alcohol burn relative to its strength, despite what seemed like a honey or brown sugar presence that should be able to smooth that out.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 3 | taste: 3 | feel: 3 | overall: 3
On tap at a shitty bar in Elko, NV. Bartender kept hyping how 'strong' the beer was. Whatever, its Elko, this is as primo as the beer scene gets.
Mahogany, maybe with a bit more red in it than pure mahogany color. Aroma was rich of caramel and other malts.
Taste was smooth, did seem to have a bit of a bitter and alcohol burn relative to its strength, despite what seemed like a honey or brown sugar presence that should be able to smooth that out.
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3.73/5 rDev +11%
look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This beer is a clear, dark amber that verges on a coppery orange. I get quite a nice cap of white head built up to just about one finger that retains itself reasonably, leaving good lacing in small patches consistently.
Toasted biscuit with a light caramel sweetness from malts balances well with a light hops element offering a bit of citrus with a touch of leafy or grassy aroma and an interesting spiciness that's hard to place.
Malts offer a flavor that includes a nice toastiness, caramel and toffee and almost a candied sugars and the biscuity backbone I expect from the nose. A little nip of bitterness and perhaps a touch of grass and citrus from hops offers some balance, but this seems to be a malt-forward amber.
For the malts in this beer, I might expect a little more depth and body, though smoothness doesn't really lack. It's above average in feel but could really use something more.
This is a good beer, but there are excellent examples of the style that are readily available, so not one to pick up except in a bind or it's offered.
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look: 4 | smell: 3.5 | taste: 4 | feel: 3.5 | overall: 3.5
This beer is a clear, dark amber that verges on a coppery orange. I get quite a nice cap of white head built up to just about one finger that retains itself reasonably, leaving good lacing in small patches consistently.
Toasted biscuit with a light caramel sweetness from malts balances well with a light hops element offering a bit of citrus with a touch of leafy or grassy aroma and an interesting spiciness that's hard to place.
Malts offer a flavor that includes a nice toastiness, caramel and toffee and almost a candied sugars and the biscuity backbone I expect from the nose. A little nip of bitterness and perhaps a touch of grass and citrus from hops offers some balance, but this seems to be a malt-forward amber.
For the malts in this beer, I might expect a little more depth and body, though smoothness doesn't really lack. It's above average in feel but could really use something more.
This is a good beer, but there are excellent examples of the style that are readily available, so not one to pick up except in a bind or it's offered.
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2.31/5 rDev -31.3%
look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
This arrived as a decent looking dark amber color with a small head. Lace is minimal.
The smell has some notable hop content but seems to be lacking malt. The taste is where it really starts to go downhill. It tastes like there isn't enough malt, but the malt that is there is too sharp and too sweet. The mediocre taste is followed up with overly thin body. I'll pass next time.
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look: 3.5 | smell: 2.5 | taste: 2 | feel: 2 | overall: 2.5
This arrived as a decent looking dark amber color with a small head. Lace is minimal.
The smell has some notable hop content but seems to be lacking malt. The taste is where it really starts to go downhill. It tastes like there isn't enough malt, but the malt that is there is too sharp and too sweet. The mediocre taste is followed up with overly thin body. I'll pass next time.
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Drop Top Amber from Widmer Brothers Brewing Company
3.36
out of 5
based on 431 ratings.
look: 3 | smell: 3 | taste: 3.5 | feel: 3 | overall: 4.5
Tasty, drinkable little beverage from Widmer. It's kinda like they took their hefeweizen and draped amber ale over it. Not bad.
A - Orangy brown body with soda-like bubbles.
S - Just a whiff of citrus.
T - Light citrus, hop and malt combo. Decently flavorful if not fantastic.
M - Middle of the road. A little bit of flavor rolls around the tongue. But it doesn't last long.
D - The subtle flavors, low sweetness and bitterness make this a smooth and very drinkable ale. Add to that the cheap price for a six pack and you have yourself a near perfect session beer.
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